Hasta La Gadget!

Carlos Alberto is a carpenter in Portugal with a modernist bent, a love of motorbikes and a sense of humor. This is “Daniela,” a fully-functional Vespa-styled scooter built almost entirely from wood.

Most of Alberto’s projects are standard stuff: staircases, furniture. Some time ago, he built a wooden motorcycle, called “Mota.” With “Daniela,” he decided to document the building process on his website, from a bent plywood frame to motoring down the avenue.

Even after watching Alberto and his team move through each step, knowing that it’s possible for a maker to go from this:

To this:

Is magical. Check out some of the early detail work:

And the triumphant builders:

For another peek inside the production process of Italian scooters, this time in a very high-tech production line, check out this vintage video from Lambretta:

All images from Vespa Daniela by Carpintiara Carlos Alberto, via Make Magazine

See Also:

• Wired 10.09: Vespa, Reinvented
• Stand Up For Your Ride on the Vespa 1+1
• Mini Woos Trendy Urban Hipsters With E-Scooter
• Piaggio's Hybrid Scooter Gets an Upgrade
• Volkswagen Electric Scooter Charges in Your Trunk
• Making a Maker: Ultimate Starter Tool Set
• Vintage Circuit Boards Create Stunning Sculptures